subwoofer
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iLuv reveals iSP200 2.1-channel portable soundbar
No need for a gargantuan home theater-styled soundbar? Then have a gander at iLuv's latest, the iSP200. Hailed as a 2.1-channel speaker system for "laptops and desktops," we view this more as just an easy-to-tote sound system that ought to outperform most of those weak iPod docks. The system packs 32-watts of power, SRS-XT "surround technology," master / bass / treble audio controls, an inbuilt 3-port USB 2.0 hub and 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input. You'll even notice that the speakers are detachable from the main unit, though the biggest knock is the omission of a rechargeable battery for true mobility. Still, not too shabby for a penny under a Benjamin; full release is after the break.
Paradigm preps PCS subwoofers to put some boom in the CES walls
In light of Paradigm's recent 15-inch Signature SUB 25 subwoofer, you might glance right past the PCS-80R (round) and PCS-80SQ (square) 8-inch models planned for CES release. Since they're in-wall subs, that's kind of the point, but also bear in mind that these new boomers are meant to be used in pairs; so even for the target entry-level applications, these should have decent output. Mounting speakers flush with walls has always been a problem, especially for low frequencies, but Paradigm assures us that the chassis and mounting of the PCS subs in the walls will ensure that nasty wall resonances will be tamed and these should plumb the depths quite nicely, especially when paired with a Paradigm X-300 subwoofer amplifier (with its own EQ). No prices yet, but we're sure details will come forth at the CES unveiling.
Paradigm's Reference Signature SUB 25 subwoofer ships, dives deep
If Paradigm's Signature SUB 25 subwoofer that was shown off at CEDIA caught your eye and that dedicated electrical service you installed to take advantage of its amplifier's specified 3,000-Watt continuous output has been mocking you, it's time to close the deal. The $4,000 Signature SUB 25 is now shipping, complete with its power factor corrected supply that will take your input voltage of anywhere from 108V - 265V and give you back 3-inches of excursion on the 15-inch cone. Even though Paradigm could have gone for an eco-friendly angle with the more efficient amplifier design, this is obviously about indulgence. The companion Perfect Bass Kit which you'll eventually want to help you tune the bass to your room is still unreleased, but we figure you'll have plenty of fun just playing with this new toy in the meantime. Full details (and a few more pics) after the break.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best home theater subwoofer under $500?
So, you're one of those "build your own multi-channel surround system" folks, are you? If so, we'll bet you're a lot like Jeff (and you didn't even know it). "I'm in the process of assembling a 5.1 system for my den, but I'm really concerned about making the right decision on a subwoofer. I'm putting a cap of $500 on it, but I want the most boom (and tightest boom) for my buck. I haven't purchased my towers or surrounds yet, so I'm open to any brand / model / etc." Ah, starting with the low-end, are we? Probably not a bad place to begin, quite honestly, and we're hoping that you readers can chime in with a few recommendations for this here bass lover. Rumble away in comments below.Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Gallo decides it's time, ships its TR-3 subwoofer
Famous for its "sound in the round" spherical speakers, Gallo has started shipping its latest subwoofer, the TR-3. It's been a while since the TR-3 was first shown off at CEDIA last year, but fans of the brand who want a little more oomph from the bass will be happy with the specs. Building on the TR-2 predecessor, the TR-3 packs a 300-Watt amplifier and an equalizer good for 6dB of boost into the cylindrical enclosure, resulting in response down to 22Hz. To help achieve good integration with the main speakers, the crossover is continuously-variable from 50Hz right up to the fixed 80Hz high-pass filter.
Vizio intros 55-inch 1080p XVT HDTV, soundbar, more goodies
Chrismakwanzika has come early for anyone remotely interested in Vizio kit, and quite honestly, even for those that aren't. From the top, we've got the 55-inch VF550XVT1A, a 1080p HDTV with 120Hz Smooth Motion Video technology, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, five HDMI inputs, SRS TruSurround HD and a $1,999 MSRP. Next up is the firm's own soundbar and wireless subwoofer kit (VSB210WS), which has finally escaped rumor purgatory to pop official. The kit sports four 3-inch speakers alongside a single 1-inch tweeter for each channel, and the long throw 6.5-inch subbie makes sure the lows are well addressed, too. Just a single cable is needed to connect the VSB210WS to any flat-panel, and just $349.99 is needed to bring it home. On deck are a trio of smaller LCDs: the 19-inch VA19 ($249.99), 22-inch VA22 ($349.99) and 26-inch VA26 ($449.99), with the middle guy becoming Vizio's smallest 1080p HDTV ever. Closing things out is the 26-inch VMM26, a 25.5-inch "multimedia monitor" with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, HDMI / USB ports, touch-activated menus and a $429.99 sticker. All but the first two products mentioned are on sale now, while the first two will be available just before your '09 Super Bowl bash.
Wireless ButtKicker kit ready to rumble your posterior
Earlier this year, we were fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on perspective) enough to get our rumps on one of the famed ButtKickers. For those unaware, these devices are meant for installation underneath a seat or sofa in order to provide chair-rumbling effects to help you "feel" the film. Now, the Guitammer Company is making them even easier to install by cutting the wires, bringing low frequency audio transducers just inches from your derriere without any cords necessary. The above pictured kit will go on sale next Friday (yes, that's Black Friday for you Americans) for under $300 on Amazon -- are you really ready to rumble?
KEF's C-Series speakers move downmarket, lose Uni-Q driver
The point source Uni-Q driver that positions the midrange concentric with the tweeter has been a hallmark of KEF speakers for a long time. But times and budgets being what they are, the company's new entry-level C-Series of speakers have ditched the Uni-Q setup, but kept some high-profile features like 0.75-inch aluminum tweeters and gold-plated terminal strips bridging the dual binding posts. There's something for everyone in the line: the C1 and C3 (pictured) are monitors at $240 and $300 per pair, respectively; the C5 and C7 ($325 and $400 each) are for floorstander fans; if you've just got to have the exact same speaker all across the front the C6LCR ($250 each) is for you; and the C4 subwoofer will fill out the bass for $400. All available in any color, as long as it's black.
Revel adds subwoofer, new in-walls to Concerta speaker lineup
High-end speaker manufacturer Revel (part of Harman International) has added a few more speakers to its Concerta line with the addition of the B120 subwoofer, IC6T2 in-ceiling speaker and IW80 in-wall speaker. Sure, the B120's 250-Watt amp can move the 12-inch driver through can move 1.5-inches, but emphasis is given to the optional TX1 wireless transmitter, which will keep the install stealthy when paired with the in-ceiling or in-wall speakers. The IC6T2 pumps out stereo sound from a single enclosure with a single 6.5-inch woofer flanked by a pair of 0.75-inch tweeters. More appropriate for a HT install, though, is the IW80 with its 8-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter spanning 40Hz all the way up to 40kHz. Coming from Revel, we expect great sound, but don't count on the company's definition of "affordable" to match up with our own; and the lack of pricing info probably backs this up. Read - Revel B120 subwoofer Read - IC6T2 and IW80 speakers
Solus launches SC-6 bookshelf speaker, Richter-8 subwoofer
One thing's for sure -- few product segments in HT can support the diversity seen in loudspeakers. Where else (except maybe outlandish cables) can a small manufacturer like Solus find a niche for its new SC-6 bookshelf speakers and Richter-8 subwoofer? Solus is a new name to us, but the SC-6s feature 1-inch silk dome tweeters and 6.5-inch woofers with "one-slope filters" (which we assume means first-order crossovers), and the Richter-8 is a front-vented compact sub. Both models have 1.5-inch voice coils, which should be plenty of motor to move the cones and a 10-year warranty so you can keep them around for a while. Read - SC-6 bookshelf speaker Read - Richter-8 subwoofer
Velodyne spells out details on Impact subwoofers
We gave a heads up on Velodyne's new Impact line of subwoofers just before CEDIA, and even though it's taken a bit longer than we expected, now we have some details to share. There are three models to choose from: the Impact-Mini (6.5-inch forward-facing driver, a 8-inch passive radiator on the bottom and a 300-Watt amp), and the Impact-10 and Impact-12 featuring downward-firing ports, 250- and 275-Watt amps respectively, and driver sizes you can probably guess from the model names. Prices are definitely on the affordable end of Velodyne's range, coming in at $549, $399 and $499 for the Impact-Mini, Impact-10 and Impact-12, respectively.
JL Audio's Fathom f212 in-home subwoofer gets official
JL Audio is probably better known in the automotive industry than the living room industry, but that's not to say the company can't deliver that earth-rockin' bass in your den and your '69 Impala. Announced this month, the Fathom f212 includes not one, but two 12W7 drivers in a sealed enclosure. The company promises "mind-blowing bass with enhanced output, reduced distortion and even greater transient accuracy than the single-woofer Fathoms." If you're looking for hard numbers, chew on these: it weighs 220-pounds, boasts a 3,000-watt RMS amplifier and costs $6,000 (or $6,100 for a high gloss finish). Make your mind up soon -- she ships in October. [Warning: PDF read link]
Harman International CEDIA 2008 booth tour
Harman International is comprised of a great many companies, so it's no surprise that it took two CEDIA booths to hold 'em all. We took our trusty camera through the both of 'em to check out the latest from the likes of Infinity, JBL, H/K and Mark Levinson, and we spotted JBL's fresh LS Series, Infinity's wireless subwoofers / Prelude Forty and a $15,000 SACD player from Levinson that made Sony's new $1,500 SCD-XA5400ES look dirt cheap. Have a walk around, the gallery's right down there.%Gallery-31302%
Velodyne's latest subwoofers at CEDIA: eyes-on
In case you've never had the privilege of attending a trade show, here's a fact: the lighting is horrid. It's tough enough to take decent photographs as-is, but when the floor underneath of you is rumbling the entire time, crisp images are even harder to come by. So yeah, you'll have to forgive us if any of the pics of Velodyne's latest families are a tad out of focus, but believe us when we say every single one was fit for a king. Or a rock star. Or you.%Gallery-31311%
Paradigm's Signature SUB 25 maximizes the fun-per-volt
The use of Class-D amplification in subwoofers is nothing new, but Paradigm's new Signature SUB 25 makes use of Power Factor Correction on the supply to grab the most power possible out of mains voltages between 108- and 265-Volts, yielding amplifier performance that can steadily crank out 3,000-Watts (and 7,500-Watt peaks). Put all that power behind a 15-inch driver with 3-inches of travel and you've got a formidable low frequency generator that will definitely expose any room nodes (or loose fillings) you have. And that's just where the Paradigm Perfect Bass Kit (PBK-1) room correction system comes in, using tech from the Anthem ARC-1 to help you tune those problems away. Expect the SUB 25 and PBK-1 in late Q3 for $3999 and $299, respectively.
JBL unleashes a pair of wireless subs at CEDIA
Infinity isn't the only Harman company bringing out wireless subs at CEDIA -- some tech is just destined to be shared between brands, and JBL's ES250PW and ES150PW subs bear a certain family resemblance to the Infinity offerings. The 2.4GHz wireless transmitters are dead ringers, and the cabinets do look similar, but JBL makes use of 12- and 10-inch PolyPlas polymer-coated paper woofers in the 400-Watt ES250PW and 300-Watt ES150PW models, respectively. The JBL PolyPlas may not sound as exotic as the Infinty driver materials, so the higher price points for the JBL equipment of $729 (ES250PW) and $599 (ES150PW) is a little surprising. Our advice is to wait and see street pricing and then shop with your ears between the brands.
Crowson's Shadow Actuator rumbles your rump, won't damage your ears
Certainly you've heard of the bass shaker concept by now, right? If not, here's an alternative from Crowson that should make things crystal clear. The firm's new Shadow, which is obviously targeting the custom install market, gets bolted beneath any theater seat in which more bass is desired. When hooked up, the "Tactile Motion" feedback provides the wondrous feeling of bass without the hearing loss associated with cranking things to 11. Additionally, each chair can be controlled independently, meaning that some viewers could experience more rumble than others. Sadly, there's no mention of a price, but we're sure you can find an inflated one by phoning up your nearest HT dealer.
Infinity's new subwoofers cut the cord
Infinity is looking to clip that lonely cable that snakes from your audio rack to the subwoofer with its new lineup of PSW310W, PS212W and PS210W subs. The top model PSW310W (pictured) gets treated to a 10-inch ceramic-metal driver and 10-inch passive radiators, a 400-Watt amp and room tuning to tame nasty modes. The other two models make their way with 12- and 10-inch metal-matrix drivers for the PS212W and PS210W, respectively. Most importantly, though, all three models share the ability to beam your bass from the equipment rack to the sub via 2.4GHz transmitter. All models are available now for $1,199, $679 and $549 for the PSW210W, PS212W and PS210W, respectively.
JL Audio shows off two subwoofers and an active stand-mount speaker at CEDIA
Whether you follow the "heard, not seen" subwoofer school or not, JL Audio has you covered with its CEDIA showing that continues to tease with the long-awaited Fathom f212 and a yet-to-come Fathom IWS in-wall model to satisfy your bass craving. The Fathom IWS is designed to fit in standard stud spacing and packs a pair of 13.5-inch drivers that are set in motion by an outboard amplifier, plumbing the depths to the tune of 25Hz (-3dB). For the rest of the frequency range, JL Audio is showing off the Primacy X3 -- an active (1,000-Watt) stand-mounted speaker with DSP crossovers for crazy steep cutoffs that maintain phase integrity. There's no pricing or availability info on the Primacy X3, but the Fathom IWS will ship in Q1 2009 for $4,500 for a single module, $7,500 for a pair, and the Fathom f212 should start showing up in October for $6,000.[Thanks, Zach!]
BG Radia's BGX-4850 in-wall subwoofer produces THX Ultra2-certified shock and awe
The ribbon drivers BG Radia uses across its speaker lineup safely puts the company in "high end" territory, but getting big bass out of ribbons is seriously challenging. The company has used conventional drivers in a THX Balanced Bass-line arrangement to solve this problem with its BGX-4850 in-wall subwoofer. The speaker uses balanced pairs of modules, each with 12 micro-woofers, to generate a thumping surface area equivalent to two 18-inch drivers. Add in a healthy 2,000-Watts of oomph, and you've got vibration-free bass coming out of your walls at "lifelike playback" levels, courtesy the first in-wall sub to earn THX Ultra2 certification. Everybody will know where that $7,000 went, so warn the neighbors.
